Canada's health minister says there will be enough vaccine against H1N1 swine flu for any Canadian who wants it.
Speaking to CTV's Canada AM Tuesday, Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq said officials in her ministry are currently finalizing a decision about how much swine flu vaccine to order.
"The purchase order for the vaccine will be finalized this week," Aglukkaq said.
"In terms of the availability of vaccine, any Canadian who wants the vaccine or needs it will be able to receive the vaccine come the fall."
Canada has a contract with GlaxoSmithKline to produce its necessary quantities of pandemic flu vaccine. Officials have a deadline of July 31 to finalize the number of doses to order for the fall.
Ontario's chief medical officer of health, Dr. Arlene King, said Monday that the first shipments of vaccine should start around mid-November, but she cautioned there may be a shortfall at first.
"It is important that we plan for the possibility that we're not going to have the amount that we need right from the outset," King said at a meeting of Ontario public health officials discussing pandemic preparations.
But Minister Aglukkaq says she is not concerned about shortages, noting that development of the vaccine in Canada is on schedule.
"No, there will not be a shortfall. Vaccine will be available for any Canadian who wants it or needs it," she said. "The order for the vaccine will be made at the end of this week," she said.
As for who will get the vaccine first if there is high demand and a need to prioritize, Aglukkaq says that's still being worked out.
"The guidelines are in the process of being developed in terms of who will receive the vaccine on a priority basis. That continues to be worked on in partnership with the provinces and territories," she said.
The lists of high-risk groups who will be given priority for the vaccine will be finalized in the fall. Some of the groups being considered include infants, pregnant women, those with underlying health conditions and the morbidly obese.
Those who aren't likely to need immunization include those who have already had swine flu, and those over the age of 50, who have been found to already have immunity for reasons not yet well understood. Those groups are less at risk of serious complications from infection.
But those priority groups could change as flu experts learn more and provincial public health officials monitor who is developing serious illness from the virus, Aglukkaq suggested.
"We are learning more about H1N1 every day. We're dealing with real-time [information] as we deal with H1N1," she said.
Before the vaccine becomes available, it will be tested for safety. There will also be studies to help determine the dosage and how many shots might be needed to confer immunity.
Public health officials don't know how the swine flu virus will behave, King noted at Monday's meeting on pandemic preparations. For that reason, public health officials should plan for a worse than usual flu season, she said.
It is possible that during the fall's expected second wave of swine flu, remote and isolated communities will see outbreaks, as well as universities and military bases, she added.
"Influenza season is always full of surprises," King said.
